A former UN Senior Governance Advisor, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has expressed concerns over the conditions laid out by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) before signing the election peace pact ahead of the 2024 General Elections.

According to him, the NDC’s demands suggest an intent to complicate the election process.

During an interview on JoyNews’ UpFront on Wednesday, August 21, Prof. Agyeman-Duah acknowledged that while the NDC’s concerns are valid, their conditions are ultimately unrealistic and impractical.

“Even though I have to say I do sympathize with the concerns raised by the NDC, I do sympathize with them because truly, it's not been fair that these incidents in the past were not properly addressed, especially if the president himself set up a commission," he stated.

"But those conditions that were made, I think they’re very unrealistic. You want the Chief Justice to come and sign, you want the Attorney-General to sign, you want the IGP to sign,” Prof. Agyeman-Duah pointed out.

His comments come after the NDC Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, reiterated the party’s refusal to sign any peace pact unless certain conditions were met.

During a meeting with the National Peace Council on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Asiedu Nketia outlined six key demands that the NDC insisted must be fulfilled. These include:

Full implementation of the Ayawaso Commission's recommendations following the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

Prosecution of individuals responsible for the killings that occurred during the 2020 elections.

Prosecution of those involved in the illegal printing of ballot papers.

Transparent and honest resolution of the issue surrounding missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s office, with an explanation satisfactory to the general public.

A public declaration by President Akufo-Addo that he will accept the outcome of the 2024 general elections.

The signing of the peace pact by key national figures, including the President, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

While the National Peace Council has urged political parties to work together to ensure peace, Prof. Agyeman-Duah questioned the necessity of involving such high-ranking officials in the peace pact process. He argued that the political parties themselves should be capable of committing to peaceful elections without these additional demands.

“If you think of the implications of such a move that henceforth, we’re going to have a Chief Justice, the A-G and all these people come in to sign, I think that is a bit too far-fetched. So I do not subscribe to the conditions,” Prof. Agyeman-Duah added.

The ongoing discussions between the NDC and the National Peace Council reflect heightened tensions ahead of the 2024 General Elections, as concerns over electoral fairness, security, and integrity continue to dominate the political landscape.